Givenchy debuts first collection under Matthew Williams

It is no easy feat for a label reboot with a new creative director when the world is in quarantine. But that is precisely what Matthew M. Williams faced for his debut collection at Givenchy. With Paris devoid of press and buyers, Williams’ first outing played to his strengths in streetwear, as shown at the brand’s Paris headquarters and released via social media and the usual channels.

There was architectural form, in jackets with sleeves extending into a straight shoulder, tailored cargo trousers and flat-fronted shirts with razor sharp pockets. The same precision applied to embossed leather envelope bags and a capelet, squarely cut in its severity, seen on both men and women.

In a press release the brands said it hardware “unites the women and men of Givenchy, a symbolic nexus of utility and luxury and the place where this collection began,”

“You find the pieces of the puzzle for a collection, building it from symbols and signs, but never forgetting the reality of the person who will wear it and bring it to life,” Williams said, in a statement. “The women and men should be powerful and effortless, equal and joyful, a reflection of who they really are – only more so. It’s about finding the humanity in luxury.”

This was a collection fully focused on product, with looks dominating in black, beige and red. Fabrication was key, with luxurious wools and chiffons juxtaposed with leather and bleached denim. Even the look book, which eschewed the mood of romantic glamour from Williams’ predecessor, Claire Waight Keller, presented in granular clarity Givenchy’s new item-led future: curved heels, mushroomed sliders, thick hardware and a whole new era of bags and accessories.

Much of this collection is bankable, all it needs is a raison d’etre to buy it.

Images via Givenchy